When You Finally Notice
by everlovingdeer
Summary: Drawing me into his side, Zacharias spoke aloud, "Don't you just hate the sorts of people that give and give until there's nothing left for them to give? Or are the people that ask for things from those sorts of people worse? I can never decide."
1. When You Finally Notice

The house-elves, in all their experience working in the school kitchen, knew exactly the way to lure children out of their beds on Monday morning – the least welcome part of the week for most students. The table of food that was set up every Monday morning for breakfast was the most splendid when compared to every other day of the week and Helga, just the thought of their chocolate chip pancakes was enough to get me out of bed even if I didn't want to.

It was certainly just the thought of those pancakes that had me quickly dressed and sat at the table for breakfast. As the chatter went on around me, I made up a stack of pancakes and started topping them just the way I liked. I reached across the table to grab the golden syrup when Susan who had been eating in silence beside me suddenly nudged me.

Sighing, I contemplated ignoring her so I could eat my pancakes in peace but knowing Susan, she wasn't going to let this pass so easily. Resigning myself to another five minutes of hunger, I turned towards her and found Susan watching me expectantly. When I raised an eyebrow in silent question, she pointed her fork further down the table to gesture towards someone. Leaning forward in my seat, I peered around her and knew instantly who she was talking to. A few spaces down from her Justin was sat, staring off into the distance in the vague direction of the Ravenclaw table.

It didn't take a Ravenclaw to figure out who he was looking at. Returning back to my place, I wondered why Susan felt the need to point out Justin's staring. The entire bloody house knew about the crush he had on Lisa Turpin. It certainly wasn't news.

Focusing back onto my plate , I poured some golden syrup over my pancakes and wondered if the sudden decrease in my mood carried across to how I completed the action. Doing my best not to pay any attention to Justin or Lisa or any of it, I picked up my knife and fork and started cutting into the stack of pancakes that just moments ago had seemed so appetising.

"You both need to learn to mind your own business," Zacharias chastised from across the table and even though I wanted to protest that I hadn't been the one to point it out, I said nothing.

Susan took offence to the remark, thinking that it was aimed at her when really, I knew the truth that Zach has been trying to get at me. Settling for an answering silence, I just poured some more syrup on top of my pancakes and proceeded to drown them in the syrup.

"You never put that much syrup on your pancakes," Justin pointed out, suddenly sliding into the space beside me. Susan, annoyed at the sudden barricade between us, had to shuffle further down the bench. Confronted with Justin's presence, I turned expectantly towards him, chewing slowly. "I know I don't say this often Gamble, but I need your help."

"Help?" I repeated cautiously, mouth still full. When he nodded, without even scowling at my lack of manners, I knew that he was serious. Merlin, I stilled; he could _not_ be asking me what I thought he was.

"So will you help me?"

Swallowing forcefully, I wiped the syrup away from the corner of my mouth with my napkin. Scrunching at it between both hands, I pointedly ignored the look Zacharias sent my way that was warning me not to say what he _knew_ I was going to say. "Help you with what?"

Zacharias dropped his heads into his hands with a heavy sigh, causing Justin to throw a curious glance his way. When he refused to speak a word, Justin looked back at me with hopeful eyes. "Will you help me with Lisa?"

"Help you do _what_?" I asked slowly, hoping that he would realise just what he was asking me. And Merlin, if he could realise how I felt about him and how what he was asking of me was secretly killing me inside, then he could have understood that it was an awkward question.

"I haven't liked a girl this much since – I don't even know when." His puppy eyes were like a dagger through my heart and I swallowed thickly. "Would you please help me by making her want to date me? Please, Gamble?"

My eyes drifted away from Justin's, avoiding the eager piercing intensity of his gaze and I found myself looking at Zacharias who had lifted his head. It was all there in Zach's stare; he thought I was an idiot. And I probably was. Despite knowing that, I ignored him when he shook his head slowly in a bid to get me to say no. Like an idiot, I ignored him.

"Of course, I'll help you," I said with a forced smile and when Justin hugged me in thanks, I returned it.

I waited until he rose from the bench to return to his usual space and it was only when he was out of eyesight that I let my smile drop. Turning back to my half-eaten plate of pancakes, I scowled at my loss appetite and pushed the plate away from me. As the chatter started back up around me, I reached for my mug of tea and tried to tune into the conversations happening around me. Only it seemed near impossible.

With a sigh, Zach pushed my plate back towards me. "You need to eat to keep your strength. You might be fucking stupid, Gamble but that doesn't mean you deserve to starve because of it."

Lifting my eyes to Zach's, I couldn't even sum up the courage to glare at him and instead looked back to my plate again. Picking up the syrup, Zach added even _more_ to my plate and I cautiously met his gaze.

"Eat up," he repeated much softer this time.

* * *

Apparently, I was _quite_ the matchmaker. My help had managed to not only create a relationship between Lisa and Justin but to also start a hesitation flirtation between the pair of them. Apparently, my helpfulness had dubbed me the matchmaker of Hufflepuff house and I found myself being confronted with different members of my house that wanted some love advice. Helga, what were they doing coming to _me_ for love advice? I certainly had no idea what I was doing.

As I sat crossed legged in front of the sofa, I couldn't keep my eyes from straying to the entrance to the common room. Zach, who was sitting directly behind me, would continue to nudge me gently with his shoe whenever I spent too long looking at the door. And because I was spending so long looking at the door, I could pin point the exact moment that Justin walked into the common room with a slight spring in his step. I already knew what had happened and what he was going to talk about. He had planned on asking Lisa out on a date today and from his reaction alone, I knew that she had said yes.

The rampant jealousy in my stomach had me rising from my seat to rush back to my dorm room before Justin could begin to talk about his big news. Zach was there to stop me with a hand on my shoulder, urging me to remain seated.

"If you leave now, he'll just come and find you alone to talk to you," he reminded me, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "Better to have a crowd of people around you to deflect his attention."

"You really are much smarter than people give you credit for," I said quietly, patting his hand before he lifted them away from my shoulder by the time Justin had made his way towards us and settled down directly cross from me on the floor.

He settled his hands in his lap and there was only a little pause before he was talking about what had happened, how he had struggled not to ruin things by saying the wrong thing and how he was _still_ shaking. Clasping my hands together, I stared down at my lap and listened to him as he continued to talk and I was silently hoping that he would continue to talk without needing any input from me. Clearly, that was too much to ask for.

"So, what do I do now?" he asked eventually, coming to the end of his rushed speech. Raising my head, I tried not to scowl because his eyes were on mine. Gnawing at my bottom lip, I hoped to keep my silence until he added, "Please?"

"How do I know what you need to do?" I grumbled.

"I don't know!" he despaired. "But you _have_ to help me."

"Just be yourself." He scoffed at my half-hearted advice and turned the full force of his puppy eyes onto me. "If she doesn't like you the way you are, just move on and be done with it."

"I _guess_ that's good advice." He looked cautiously towards Zacharias. "Smith, any advice?"

"Don't involve me in this bullshit," Zach shot back, and I turned back in time to see that he had his lips pursed in a displeased scowl. "You should just be grateful that I'm listening to this rubbish in the first place."

Justin frowned, looking like he wanted to protest but decided against it. I stifled a smile, feeling grateful that Zacharias had managed to portray some of my inner thoughts for me and simply reached behind me to squeeze his hands thankfully. He returned the gesture instantly.

"But – but what if she wants to kiss me, what do I do?" Justin looked helplessly between the pair of us. "Gamble?"

"Helga," I muttered under my breath, feeling my stomach drop. What girl wanted to help the guy she was crushing on kiss someone else? A masochistic girl, that was who.

"Why are you asking her for?" Zacharias said instantly, narrowing his eyes at Justin. "How in Merlin's name would she know if a girl wanted you to kiss her?"

"Well then _you_ tell me."

"Most girls get this look on their face when they're with a guy that they like," Zacharias started, sounding like he had a lot of knowledge on the subject. I made a mental note to ask him about it later. "Especially if they want the person to kiss them. Goodness knows Gamble gets that look as well."

I reacted instantly, reaching out to dig my fingernails into one of Zacharias's calves which were on either side of me. He hissed in pain, swatting at my hand and meeting the glare I shot towards him. Rubbing at his calf to ease the pain, he muttered profanities under his breath. I made a face at him in return and if he was as smart as he liked to claim he was, then he would know not to say something so stupid around Justin again.

Finally, knowing that I had to look back towards Justin, I found myself face to face with his hesitant smile. "You'll help me, right?"

I breathed in a deep breath; I'd already broken my heart for him, what more could he possibly ask of me?

* * *

Helga, Justin just could _not_ stop talking about Lisa and part of me wanted to turn around and tell the unobservant idiot to open his eyes and realise just how much his _constant_ chatter was getting to me. Even now, as we walked through the hallways on our way back to the common room, he couldn't seem to stop himself from talking about how well his first date with Lisa had gone. As if anyone ever gave a crap. Although, maybe it wasn't just me that was getting annoyed; none of our housemates seemed to want to listen to his chatter either.

When Justin finally came to the end of his story, he looked towards me and waited expectantly for what I was going to say in response. Only, I hadn't listened to anything he had said in the last five minutes. I cast a glance towards Zach, hoping he was going to give me a hint about what was going on but all I got was a scoff that just said that I was all by myself.

"So," I said slowly, rolling my eyes and turning away from Zach who was absolutely no help – _as usual_. "Does this mean that she's your girlfriend now?"

"I don't think so," he said with a slow shake of his head. "Not yet anyway."

"Ok then." Because really what else was I going to say?

I hurried my paces, dropping into the space between Susan and Hannah and joining their conversation and leaving Justin _far_ behind. Settling for listening to the two girls talk and laughing when Susan began to complain about something that had happened over the course of the summer, I tried to give her some advice. Only I forcefully cut myself off when a hand gently wrapped around my upper arm, drawing me out from between the two girls and back until I was walking once again beside Justin. With a resigned sigh, I met his eyes and waited for what he was going to say.

"I need your help," Justin confessed, voice lowered so no one else would hear his words.

And Helga help me, those words were certainly enough to have me considering them. Zach knew the effect those words had on me and almost instantly dropped back to keep a hovering presence over me, to make sure that I didn't do anything stupid.

"Gamble?"

"Help with what?" I asked quietly, playing with my hands and when I remembered that Justin knew me well enough to pick up on my nervous mannerisms, I held them behind my back. Then again, if he hadn't realised that something was off by now, then maybe he didn't me as well as either of us thought he did.

"She wanted to kiss me," he confessed earnestly. "I know she did."

And what exactly did he want me to do about that? Shooting a look towards Zach, I silently prayed that he would know to intervene and deal with this situation. He read my eyes before sighing aloud and stepping towards me to throw an arm over my shoulder.

Drawing me into his side, Zacharias spoke aloud, "Don't you just hate the sorts of people that give and _give_ until there's nothing left for them to give? Or are the people that ask for things from those sorts of people worse? I can never decide."

His words, so out of place, had all members of the small crowd we were walking in turning to look at him questioningly. Zacharias for his part stood by his statement and only went on to explain.

"I have a cousin you see, she behaves in that way."

"Spare me the lecture, cousin," I grumbled, elbowing him away.

Zacharias held my gaze for a long moment, raising his hands in defeat when it became obvious that his moral lessons weren't appreciated. Finally drawing away from me, Zacharias sped up to drop into step beside Hannah and that unfortunately meant I was left alone with Justin.

Resigning myself to my fate, I turned expectantly towards Justin; the sooner he was able to say all that he wanted to, the sooner I could leave this entire situation far _far_ behind for a short while at least. For a long moment, Justin did nothing and instead looked ahead, watching as the rest of our friends drew further away from all of us.

Only when they had rounded the corner did he reach out to grasp me by the arm again and then he was drawing me away, down a smaller pathway and into an alcove, hidden out of sight. He crowded me into the small space, throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure that no one saw us and when he finally turned back to face me, he met my eyes which had gone wide with surprise.

"Let me practice with you," he proposed quietly and I drew away instantly, forcefully removing his hands from my body.

"Practice _what_?" I demanded heatedly; he could _not_ be suggesting what I thought he was.

"We're not dating yet," he justified. "Lisa and I aren't dating yet so this isn't cheating; it's just practice. It doesn't have to mean a thing."

And Merlin, if that wasn't like a slap in the face. Swallowing thickly, I shook my head. "No way Justin, no what in hell –"

"I just want to get it right for when it matters!"

From between barely parted lips I drew in a deep breath to ease the physical sting of his words. Helga, it felt like I had taken a physical blow to the stomach that left me winded.

" _Justin_ –"

"Please, Gamble. _Please_." And I, I had never been able to deny him a thing. Not when he spoke like that, or when he looked at me like that or when he reached out to squeeze my arm gently.

"A peck," I warned. "Nothing more."

"A peck," he repeated to show that he understood, raising his hands until they were hovering around my face. His eyes flickered between my own, looking like he didn't know how to proceed.

"I'm being serious." I swallowed thickly when his hands came up to frame my face; large and warm and rooting. "I'll hex you."

"I got it," he assured me, eyes flickering to my lips and then there was no time for talking.

Justin leaned down, closing the space between the pair of us. I had envisioned this kiss so many times and Merlin, this really wasn't it. This should never have happened in the first place.

* * *

With Justin finally managing to get Lisa to agree to be his girlfriend, I found myself having to spend an unnatural amount of time with the Ravenclaw. Whilst I had nothing against her – she was a sweetheart through and through –it didn't mean that I enjoyed having to spend so much time with the girlfriend of the best friend that I had been crushing on for _too long_. Even now, as we sat in a cluster in the middle of the school courtyard, Lisa had made herself at home by sitting directly across from me in the circle.

"He's always been clumsy," Wayne piped up, waving a hand towards Justin who was sat at my side and was growing redder and redder as we continued to bring up tales of his clumsiness. If he didn't want to be embarrassed in front of his girlfriend, he shouldn't have continued to invite her to hang around us. "In first year, he managed to step on the back of his own robes and fell down the stairs, and somehow managed to land beside Gamble, only to take her with him on his way down."

"We had to spend an entire day in the Hospital wing," I recalled with a slight laugh, and nudged Justin with my elbow. "Remember? You were so apologetic for the rest of the week."

"It's how we became friends," Justin reminded with a chuckle and looping his arm around my shoulder and squeezed it warmly. "Don't keep complaining about that incident if you don't mind being friends with me."

Despite giving Justin a warm smile in return, I was unable to stop my eyes from flickering a short distance across the circle towards Lisa. Although she tried to hide it, her eyes _had_ narrowed at the action and I was quick to clear my throat and shrug out of Justin's arm. And Justin, confused at my sudden cold shoulder, shot a slight frown towards me. I didn't dare meet his eyes because the poor fool had no idea what was really going on. He hadn't been the one who found themselves apprehended by Lisa who made a snide comment about how close the pair of us were.

No – that had been Zach and Zach had been quick to relay that information to me. He had warned me that she wasn't pleased about how close the pair of us were and perhaps it was a sign that I needed to keep my distance for a little while, at least until Lisa felt more reassured at the platonic nature of our relationship. Although – could it be platonic if one of us was hopelessly in love with the other? But surely, if someone as sweet as Lisa was taking offence with the way I was behaving with _her boyfriend_ maybe it was a sign that I needed to take a step back.

"Not to be the bearer of bad news," I started, clearing my throat when Justin's gaze was growing unbearable to sit under, "but we need to start going to our next lesson. I've got Defence and Merlin knows with Snape teaching it this year, I'd rather get there _early_."

I looked across the group, hoping that someone else that also had Defence would decide to come alone with me and silently accept the plea I was sending out. But it was just my luck that the person that I really _didn't_ want to follow me to the classroom, rose to follow me. I just could _not_ catch a break.

"I'll come with," Lisa offered, hopping to her feet and grabbing her bag. When I hesitated for a moment on my feet, sending an SOS to Zach via my eyes, she turned to me with a smile. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah." I cleared my throat. "Yeah, of course."

Tightening my hand around the strap of my bag, I dropped into step beside Lisa as the pair of us walked towards the Defence classroom. For a good while, we walked in an extremely unsettling silence; it was the sort of silence that you knew would inevitably come to an end because the other person had something they wanted to say. And sure enough, as we turned the corner, and were safely out of ear shot from the rest of my friends, she cleared her throat and turned expectantly towards me with a smile.

"How close are you and Justin?"

"Me and Justin?" I repeated, gnawing on my bottom lip. "He's one of my closest friends."

"Right, right." She nodded, accepting the words for only a moment before she started to speak again. "I hate to admit this but I'm a little bit uncomfortable with how close the pair of you are. And I don't want to be _that_ girlfriend but I can't help it. I'm really sorry –"

"It's not something you need to be sorry about," I said instantly, turning towards her and waving my hands as if to swat away her words. "I shouldn't be making you uncomfortable and I'll try to make sure you don't have to feel that way again."

"Thank you," she said with a grin, letting out a relieved breath.

Reassured that I wasn't going to kick off at her request, Lisa was grinning as we continued on our way to the classroom. She was so pleased that she didn't notice that I couldn't seem to lift my gaze from the floor, not even when an arm wrapped around my shoulders. The presence the appeared at my side was so familiar, that I turned easily into Zach's side.

"Lisa," Zach called out towards the Ravenclaw who sent him a brief smile, "why don't you go on ahead? I need to talk to Gamble."

"I'll see you guys there!" she called back with a wave, hurrying away from the pair of us as we slowed our steps down.

Turning curiously towards him, I asked, "What's going on?"

"She's a snake," Zacharias grumbled, throwing a narrow-eyed glance at Lisa's back.

"Zach –"

"She did it on purpose – getting out alone so that she could talk to you and warn you away." He squeezed my shoulder before eventually lifting his arm and bringing it back to his side. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing." I evaded his gaze when he frowned.

"Let me know if she says anything to you again," he said slowly, brows furrowed in displeasure. "If she continues to upset my baby cousin then I'll have a word with Justin and tell him not to bring her around anymore."

"Hey," I mock whined, resistant against letting him know just how touched I was by his obvious care. "Who are you calling a baby?"

* * *

Whenever Zacharias was being sweet, it was hard to remember why there were times when I didn't get along with my cousin. But it would take one small irritating gesture for me to remember _why_ and Merlin, this time he was doing much more than just one annoying thing. He continued to bug me about what Lisa had said to me when she managed to get me alone. Now that I thought about it, it was really my fault for thinking that he would accept my refusal to answer.

"If I tell you," I started with an irritated sigh, turning towards him as we walked into our shared Charms lesson, "will you shut up about everything?"

"Of course, I will," he said with a _far_ too pleased grin and Merlin, I wanted to wipe it from his face.

And, as it would turn out, my confession of what Lisa had said to me had the grin faltering on his face before it eventually slid off. His eyes narrowed as he silently followed me towards my usual seat.

"So, this is why you haven't been hanging around Justin," he said slowly, sighing as he watched me put my bag onto the desk.

"Any reason you're _still_ bugging me?" I asked pointedly, reaching into my bag and drawing out my ink well. "You said that if I told you, you'd leave me alone. But here you are, _still_."

"Well, Justin has been bugging all of us in the dorm about what he could have done to annoy you to the point of you completely cutting him out of your day to day life." Crossing his arms, Zach narrowed his eyes in condemnation. "This is all your fault; you're the idiot that agreed to her stupid, not so irrational fears."

"You just said that her fears are not so irrational," I pointed out but when he arched an eyebrow imperiously, I scoffed. "You're so annoying."

"And you're stuck with me for the rest of your life," he announced, putting his bag down beside my own.

Before he could take a seat next to me, I drew the stool away from under the table and brought it defensively towards me. "You really expect me to put up with you all lesson? Seriously? No thanks."

"And just who exactly are you going to be sitting next to today?" Instead of answering the question, I let my eyes scan across the room as my usual desk mate walked into the classroom with his girlfriend at his side. As if he knew what I was thinking, Zach added, "You're avoiding Justin."

"Right you are," I murmured, watching as Justin said goodbye to Lisa who seemed to be trying to convince him to join her at her table. They exchanged a few words before Justin pointed in the direction of his usual seat, by my side. But before he could approach me, I grabbed Zach by the hand and forced him to take a seat.

"Here I was thinking that I was being annoying," Zach snarked, settling down comfortably onto the stool and pulling his textbook out.

"Well I figured is that I would rather be annoyed all lesson, than being glared at." I sighed, reaching for my quill and twiddling it between my fingers as I despaired to myself, "Being glared at all lesson – _that_ will be the most annoying thing."

"Being glared at," Zach murmured in confusion, but he understood it all the same.

His eyes instantly flickered across the room, seeking out the cause of my sudden degradation in mood and when they finally settled onto Lisa and Justin who were _still_ talking at the front of the classroom, he scowled. I reached out reflexively to smack Zach to get him to stop but my eyes were still drawn to the couple in time to find Justin frowning at finding his usual seat occupied. Left with no other alternative, Justin had to follow Lisa to his seat after offering me nothing more than a hesitant smile.

I returned it slightly before reaching out for my textbook. Flicking through the textbook, I did my best to act like I didn't care about any of this situation and Merlin, did I wish that I didn't care. If I didn't care, then things would be so much easier.

From beside me, Zach sighed deeply and reached out to pat my head as if I was a little child that needed consoling. And perhaps I was. Despairing, he murmured, "If your mum saw the way you were letting a boy shake you up, she wouldn't hesitate to send a good stinging hex your way. Maybe I should owl her and let her deal with him?"

"The women in our family _are_ good at stinging hexes," I murmured with a slight smile. "Mum's _is_ quite threatening and she was the one to teach me about it. She thinks I have her talent."

"You're telling me," he grumbled, faking upset. But really, he was pleased that he was managing to cheer me up and getting my mind away from the mess of my life. "The stinging hex you send towards me on a regular basis is plenty enough proof of that."

"Maybe if you're good to me, I'll teach you the secret of it, _baby cousin_."

"Baby cousin," he repeated incredulously with a scoff. "You're younger!"

* * *

With Justin and his girlfriend acting as a bridge between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw house, members of our house would often get together to play games and because I didn't manage to come up with an appropriate excuse, I couldn't skip out this time. That was the reason why I found myself sitting surrounded by my friends as we sat in a big circle in the middle of one of the empty classrooms. It seemed like opportunities for mingling between the two houses would be becoming more frequent and Merlin, I needed to come up with more excuses in preparation for those occasions.

"We're playing truth or dare, aren't we?" I asked in confusion, turning towards Ernie who had settled beside me before the game began.

"We are," he agreed, loosening his tie now that the school day had come to an end.

"So why are the Ravenclaws mucking about and not getting the game started already?"

"Apparently we're playing the _Ravenclaw_ way." He gestured towards the Ravenclaws who were taking turns swigging from a bottle of clear liquid. And before I could frown, he leaned in close to whisper, "Veritaserum."

"So, there's really no way of getting out of this, huh?" I mumbled with a sigh, accepting the bottle when it was handed to me.

Tipping some of it down my throat, I swallowed it down quickly and handed the bottle off to Ernie. Whilst I managed to swallow it down with little hesitation, Ernie paused for a minute and it was only after he was goaded by some of our house that he downed it and passed it on quickly. With a slight laugh, I patted his knee comfortingly. Once the bottle had completed its way round the circle, it was empty and placed in the middle and spun to begin the game.

The game progressed steadily and I was beginning to notice a slight trend; us badgers were more prone to picking a dare over being forced to say the truth. I guess it was just a little difference between our two houses; even if we knew someone was lying in a game of truth or dare, we let it pass because we knew that there was a reason they were lying. But the prospect of not being able to lie certainly added a certain thrill to the game. And when the bottle landed on Zacharias, I wasn't surprised that he picked dare – it was the smart choice.

"I dare you," started one of the Ravenclaw seventh years whose name I couldn't quite recall, "to kiss Gamble."

I recoiled with a groan of disgust that was overshadowed by Zach's. He pointed an accusing finger towards the seventh year, "Purebloods like you have a bloody incest kink, I swear."

But because a dare was a dare, Zach crossed the circle and I watched his approach with clear disgust. Almost everyone in the circle had matching revulsion on their faces which eased when he pressed a brotherly kiss to the top of my head and returned back to his own seat. He reached for the bottle, but before he span it, he narrowed his eyes at the Ravenclaw.

"Get your bloody head checked you depraved psycho." And with that, he span the bottle and the game continued again.

The game progressed quickly, moving between being ridiculous to being downright dangerous with the sorts of things being revealed under the influence of Veritaserum. When the bottle landed on Justin, he was one of the first Hufflepuffs to select truth – like an absolute _idiot_. And my horror grew even more when he was asked who his first kiss was with. His eyes flickered towards me as he struggled against the effects of the potion and my eyes widened. I shook my head instantly.

But obviously, under the effects of potion, he stood no chance. Against his will, he answered truthfully and just like that, all eyes were on me. Swallowing under the weight of their stare, I lowered my eyes to my hands. Helga I could just _feel_ Lisa's eyes boring holes into me; this was exactly what she had been worrying about.

"Well," Lisa cleared her throat and when I looked up, she was staring daggers at Justin, "when did the kiss happen?"

"Hey!" Wayne piped up in protest, and Justin's answer was thankfully drowned out by his voice. "You can't keep asking him questions! He's already had his turn."

"I still want an answer," Lisa insisted. "When did the kiss happen, Justin?"

Justin put up a valuable fight against the potion, only to lose once again. "A week or so before we started to date." Lisa took in a deep breath, rising to her feet and preparing to leave. Justin was on his feet on an instant, "It's not like we were dating so what does it matter!"

Apparently, it _did_ matter, as Lisa explained loudly when Justin moved her into the corner of the room to stop her from running off in a huff. As bad as it was, I was partly grateful that they were having this blow out in the room because it meant that less accusatory eyes were focused on me. But at one point the stares got so bad that Ernie and Zach flanked either side like noble protectors.

I contemplated leaving the room and I honestly didn't care about appearing guilty because I just wanted to escape this situation. And I prepared to do just that when Lisa exclaimed loudly, "You need to choose Justin! You can't have the both of us!"

Deathly silence filled the room as I once again found everyone looking at me; they all knew what Lisa had meant. Clearing my throat nervously, I rose to my feel unable to sit around and hear whatever Justin would say in response. This was all supposed to be a light-hearted game; it certainly wasn't supposed to have caused so much trouble.

"Hey," Ernie called out from behind me, jogging out of the room and dropping into step beside me. "Want some company?"

"Thank you," I said with a smile, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "You're a good guy, Ernie."

"I know." His statement was so self-confident that I laughed incredulously and Ernie smiled widely, seeming pleased to have made me laugh. He really was a good guy.

* * *

The very next day I found myself having to avoid a persistent Justin. He clearly wanted to talk to me and I really, _really_ didn't want to talk to him because who knew what he was going to say to me. I honestly didn't expect for him to stop being friends with me, and he probably wouldn't but what did that leave for him to say to me? And since I had taken to avoiding Justin, Zacharias had become my almost constant companion. My cousin liked to complain about having to go along with me everywhere but _he_ had been the one to invite himself into filling the void Justin had left behind.

Flicking through my Potion's textbook, I searched the pages for the name of a Potioneer I needed for my essay when Zacharias rapped his hands against the table beside my book. Lifting my gaze and shooting him a pointed glance, I arched an eyebrow in silent question.

"I need to get going," he said apologetically, already packing his things up. "I'll see you back in the common room."

"I'll probably follow along soon," I murmured absentmindedly, "I don't like sitting alone for long – not in here anyway. I feel like Pince is just glaring at me until I leave."

"You won't have to sit alone for long."

At my blatant confusion, Zacharias just sent me a vague smile on his way away from the table. And Merlin, I should have called him out on it because moments later I found out exactly why. Justin slid into Zacharias's newly unoccupied seat; the pair had colluded together to set this all up. Somehow, I was more impressed than irritated.

But I didn't speak a word to him. Instead, I sent him a welcoming smile before continuing to write my essay. Justin, not knowing how to deal with my silence, faltered for a moment. He quickly recovered, pulling out his own work and settling down to get something done. We worked in a comfortable silence as I did my very best to concentrate on the words my quill was slowly tracing across the parchment. I didn't lift my gaze, not even when he cleared his throat in a way that I knew was meant to gain my attention.

At my lack of response, Justin called out a gentle, "Gamble?"

My quill slowed for only a moment before I was back to finishing a sentence that I was sure made no sense whatsoever. I would have to cross it out once I managed to gather my fraying concentration once again.

"I broke up with Lisa," he confessed quietly and I still kept my eyes lowered to my parchment. The silence that followed Justin's declaration was telling; he quite clearly wanted to say something. Or rather, he wanted me to say something, to read between the lines of what he was telling me to. The longer I refused to speak a word, the more awkward the silence between us grew.

Until I cleared my throat and asked, "Why?"

"She asked me to choose," he justified earnestly, lowering his voice as he leaned across the table towards me. His tone alone forced me to raise my eyes towards his, holding them as he swallowed thickly. "She asked me to choose between the pair of you, and I chose. How could she ask me to put aside my very best friend?"

"She was insecure," I justified, trying not to smile. Merlin I was conflicted; part of me was glad that Justin had taken my side, part of me was reeling from news of the break up and another part of me felt guilty that _I_ had been the cause of Justin's break up with his girlfriend. "Her request was justifiable given what she found out as well as the way she found it out."

"Alright, let's say I agree to that," he murmured, twiddling his quill between his fingers. "But then maybe I was just looking for an excuse to break up with her."

"Then that makes you a shitty excuse of a man," I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I guess I am." He sighed deeply, averting his eyes from my accusatory stare. "Because by the time Lisa and I were dating, I didn't want to be with her anymore."

"You _what_!" My mouth dropped incredulously as Justin finally lifted his eyes to mine. He looked away again at the sight of my expression; Merlin, this was worse than I thought. "I actually feel _bad_ for her, Justin!"

"I know, I know!" Fidgeting with the end of his tie, Justin shuffled uncomfortably and looked at me from beneath his lashes. "But at that point it was too late to tell her that I liked another girl." And Merlin, I could tell what he meant simply from the way he was looking at me. Crossing my arms defensively, I leaned as far back in my seat as I could. "Zach told me about your secret."

"Merlin, the reason he has the confidence to be spilling _anyone's_ secrets is because I haven't cursed him in a while," I muttered under my breath. With a sigh, I spoke slowly so he understood exactly what I meant, "I hope that you don't expect me to date you."

Justin's face fell as he ducked his head and mumbled to himself, "I mean, of course I didn't –"

"You broke up with your girlfriend _yesterday_ ," I reminded him gently and Justin, who had known me long enough, read between the lines of what I was saying.

"Ok that's fine." He nodded quickly, the corner of his lips curving upwards very slightly. "I can wait."


	2. Epilogue: 7 Years Later

_7 YEARS LATER_

In the direct aftermath of the war that took place in my seventh year, I came to understand just how important family was and I made every conscious effort to spend more time with them. And, since Justin was now essentially tied to me for everything, he was along for the ride. It had taken him by surprise, how close I was to my extended family and of course, we compromised by making sure that in return, I did the same for _his_ family. In some regards, it was harder for me to adapt to the muggle culture than it was for him to fit into my family. As a pureblood I'd had very little exposure to their world whilst Justin had been introduced to wizarding world years ago.

A testament to how seamlessly he fit into the metric of my family was that even today, at my aunt's house, he was easily conversing with everyone. My mother and her sister had vowed not to be the only ones in the kitchen today and so had managed to rope other people into helping. Poor Zacharias was already there, working on making meatballs in the _muggle way_ that was apparently so extremely taxing.

"Hey!" Zacharias protested, coming out into the living room where I was sitting on the sofa. He gestured for me to rise to my feet, and if his hands hadn't been dirty, he certainly would have used them to haul me up from my seat. "Come into the kitchen and help."

"Your mum told me to relax," I said with a smile, knowing that it would annoy him.

"And I'm telling you to come and help me make the meatballs," he snapped his fingers, pointing towards me and gestured in the vague direction of the kitchen.

With a sigh, I rose to my feet when it became obvious that Zacharias wasn't going to leave me alone. He didn't even bat an eyelid at the scowl I shot him, and gestured for me to follow after him. Coming into the kitchen, I looked around at the sheer number of people and mentally prepared to overheat. Zach, likely knowing that I was going to try to duck out, pointed silently towards the sink and I prepared to wash my hands.

Making my way cautiously through the kitchen, I did my best not to bump into anyone and finally made it to the front of the sink. But before I could reach out to turn on the tap, my aunt was there to take my hand in hers. She held them away from the tap, looking at me with disapprovement.

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" she exclaimed gently, linking my arm through hers and moving to escort me out of the room.

"I was coming to help you cook," I protested with a smile that I struggled to hide.

"Why?"

"Because Zacharias wanted some help."

Zacharias, knowing that I had thrown him under the bus, turned towards me with accusatory eyes. And his mother, bless her, was glaring daggers at her son who cowered under her gaze.

"You really don't have to do that," she assured me, brushing a hand over the swell of my stomach. "You need to get off your feet."

With a forced hesitant smile, I let my aunt escort me out of the room but only after sticking my tongue out at my cousin. After helping me into the dining room, my aunt pulled a chair out from under the table and gestured for me to take a seat. She disappeared back into the kitchen and only then did I turn my eyes onto my boyfriend who had also been put to work by being made to set the table.

"Having fun?" I teased, leaning back in my chair and draping my arms over my stomach.

"I'd rather be doing this than standing under your dad's glare," he confessed, moving around the long table and placing plates as he went.

"My dad's glare?" I frowned, my eyes followed him as he moved, "What's happening?"

Putting the final plate down, he sighed and looked exasperatedly towards me, "When exactly do you plan on agreeing to marry me? Your father keeps glaring at me because I had the nerve to get you pregnant without putting a ring on your finger."

I sighed, moving to stand to face him. But when I struggled a little, Justin was there to ease me up. "I thought we decided that we didn't need to marry now?"

"No, _you_ decided that." He frowned as he scoffed, "How am I, the muggleborn, more conservative than you, the pureblood?"

Simply laughing in response, I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "This isn't something you need to be so worried about."

"I disagree." He rolled his eyes before confessing, "Even _my_ father is planning to kill me because he thinks I'm not proposing. He hasn't even considered that you're just not saying yes to me."

"Well what can I say?" I shrugged, moving around him so I could grab the stack of napkins piled in the middle of the table. "Your father loves me."

"He does," he whined, "so please help your boyfriend out a little?"

"I'll talk to him – them. I'll talk to the both of them for you." When Justin turned to roll his eyes at me, I sighed and patted his cheek. "Tell you what, I'll say yes the next time you propose."

His hand moved inconspicuously to his trouser pockets. "Really?"

"But," I hastened to add, pointing a finger warningly towards him, "you can't do it tonight. If you even _think_ of doing it in a public place where there's any more than two people around, I _will_ say no. And depending on whether or not your son is using my bladder as a drum set, I might show you why Zach is scared of my stinging hex."

"Understood," he promised, dropping a kiss to the top of my head and snagging the napkins from my hand.

I watched him place the napkins on the table for a moment longer before making my way back to my chair. Part of me wanted to beat Justin to the punch by proposing to him – even if only to see his reaction. But if I ever _did_ do that, he would no doubt give me the silent treatment for who knows how long.


End file.
